fckflorentina:
i didn’t say i wasn’t coming back. the sound of his voice was enough to truly crack the brunette; it’d been too long since she last heard it, heard a true full sentence. and this time around, the new york accent stuck out more than ever before, indicative of leo having been in the states after so long. not that florentina minded, of course, but it just reminded her of how different things were now, even the way he spoke. and it didn’t matter that he never said he wasn’t coming back; florentina never knew when, and that made it seem as though it may never happen, so there was a relief that rushed through her entire body as she clung onto his because he was here. he came back. and as soon as she felt his arms wrap tightly around her small frame, it felt like she was the one coming home. this is where she belonged most in the world and it had been difficult trying to find her place in it without her other half … but hopefully she wouldn’t have to worry so much about that anymore.
“you do too,” flor agreed with a broken giggle of her own, sniffling a bit as she buried into his neck a little further. she could always count on him to get her to smile even just a bit. and it was true: his embrace was warm and t-shirt smelled of fresh linen which contrasted the cologned after-shave but fuck was she relishing this moment of closeness. it was distracting her, but she came through again when he started with the apologies, and as much as she wanted to hear them, the way they were rolling off his tongue made her heart stutter. the kiss against the top of her head hadn’t helped either, and that’s when a few of her tears trickled down onto the fabric of his jacket. she was happy to have him back, and upset for having been left behind with little explanation, and angry for the lack of communication, but worried for what had to have happened for leonardo to be acting this way. to sound so desperate for her forgiveness. so she pulled away a bit, brows furrowed and eyes a little puffy, but regardless she brought a hand up to his cheek, tender and soft. “recovered from everything .. bello, what are you talking about? were you hurt?” she asked softly, gaze washing over his body for any sign of injury or scars over his face. truly, she did not realize the type of recovering he was referring to was emotional as she wasn’t aware of his father … but she was worried nonetheless.
flor got back down onto her heels, hands unwinding from around his neck but still she had to touch him, so she settled on grabbing his hand with both of hers. glossy eyes looked up at him as a sigh slipped past her lips; her emotions were all over the place, and she barely knew where to begin. so she let out another breath before continuing. “will you come inside .. please? it’s cold, c’mon,” it wasn’t freezing out, but it was chilly enough with the breeze, so she was already pulling him into her home before he could give much of a protest. besides, she didn’t think he would considering he just showed up at her door with a few bags as if he has just gotten back. flicking some of the lamps on in the quaint living room, a warm light began to illuminate the space and it was then that she could truly see how tired the boy looked. flor had to imagine she didn’t look much better. “leo, what happened?” she asked, eyes casting downwards as she found herself sitting atop her coffee table, patting the couch cushion directly in front of her for him to sit. “because, believe me, bello, i want to be mad at you,” she had to grin at that a bit, despite herself, “but it feels like there’s something … more, that you haven’t said yet.”
Leo could melt upon hearing the softness of her tone as she responded to his trivial — but true — praise. Even after all the uncertainty he had put her through, she still had kindness in her heart. He thought how amazing that was; and how terrible he’d been; and how he knew she was the only one. It broke his heart how much she was crying in that moment. He imagined how many nights she had spent shedding tears for him while he was away. His eye lids fluttered shut as he stood there with Flor in his arms, sniffling and silently weeping against his chest. When he felt her pull away from him, he could have sworn she was about to either hold forth or fulminate. He opened his eyes to meet her gaze. Her brows were furrowed, indicating her unpleasant reaction. Leo inhaled sharply, bracing himself for what was to come. Instead what transpired was her show of genuine concern for him. Leo’s eyebrows shot upwards as she interrogated him in worry. He almost chuckled as she inspected his appearance; but he didn’t. He shook his head and cupped her cheeks once more, wiping her tears with his thumbs. “I was, but not in the way that you think.” He answered but did not expound because he wasn’t at Flor’s doorstep to rant. He wasn’t there to talk about his problems, or to give her excuses for the way he acted. He was there to apologise. He was there for her, not for himself.
Leo quickly brought his hands up to catch her wrists but he wasn’t fast enough. He wanted her arms around him for longer but he was also aware that he wasn’t in the position to choose how long she wanted to embrace him. He held on tightly as her hands found his. He held them as if she would slip away at any time. When she exhaled, her teary eyes staring up at him, he felt a pang of guilt. She had sad eyes. “I’m sorry.” He repeated. Before he could speak again, she asked him to come inside. Surprised, however unable to decline, Leo nodded in response. He released one of her hands to gather his belongings.
He allowed her to lead the way, letting go of her grip. He carried his bags inside but left them by the side of the front door. He closed the door behind him and turned the lock before taking a brief look of his surroundings. It’s been a while since his last visit. He wondered if he still had things lying around somewhere. Flor’s abode was cosy, and warm; it filled him with love, and pleasant memories. He approached the sofa with a weary smile and sat on the cushion she was patting. “It hasn’t been long since I returned and you’re already bossing me around.” He teased before taking a deep breath. “It doesn’t really matter right now because I’m not here to burden you with my problems or make feeble excuses for leaving you like that.” He acknowledge with a shrug. “I’m here to tell you I’m sorry, and to let you know that you didn’t deserve it.” He added, almost in a firm manner. “If you want to punish me, I understand. I accept that. I just want to say that I’m genuinely sorry, Flor.” He said, tone become softer. He reached over and tucked her hair behind one ear. “And that I love you.” He stammered.











